1987-'90 Ferrari F40

Ferrari celebrated the big 4-0 with its most exotic supercar to date

Feature Article from Hemmings Motor News

Ferrari's 288 GTO of 1985-'86 was a resolute statement of purpose on behalf of the Italian automaker; with a shapely composite body and more than 400 horsepower kicking out of its twin-turbocharged, mid-mounted V-8 engine, the GTO was the first truly modern supercar of the 1980s. While this car was the fodder for a thousand teenage daydreams, it was the 288 GTO's replacement that would signal that Ferrari had its sights fixed firmly on the horizon.
Still able to command respect and reverence at age 89, it was Enzo Ferrari himself who commissioned an exceptionally powerful sports car that incorporated the highest technology available; this car would celebrate his company's 40th anniversary, and the Commendatore would introduce it to the press and public himself on July 12, 1987. The F40, as it was known, was an uncompromising sports car that would chase the tech-laden Porsche 959 to the top of the food chain, reaching 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and besting the 200 mark by one mph.
Powering this racer-for-the-road was an evolution of the 288 GTO's longitudinal mid-mounted V-8 engine. Displacing 2,936cc, the Weber-Marelli fuel-injected 32-valve engine was boosted with two water-cooled IHI turbochargers making more than 15 p.s.i., the cylinder-feeding air cooled by two air-to-air intercoolers. The result of all of this engineering was an impressive 478hp at 7,000 rpm and 425-lbs.ft. of torque at 4,000, figures that trumped the 959's 450hp and 369-lbs.ft. of torque. Ferrari channeled the F40's power to the rear wheels through a traditional gated five-speed manual gearbox, available with or without synchromesh.
Cloaking those advanced mechanicals was even more high technology, the F40's composite body. An aerodynamic shape with a 0.34 coefficient of drag, the low-slung body was made from carbon fiber, Kevlar, resin and other exotic materials, and it rested on a tubular steel chassis. The F40's design was highlighted by a tall rear spoiler designed to add downforce at speed, and a number of NACA ducts that funneled cooling air to the engine compartment, radiators, brakes and interior; the plastic rear window was pierced with numerous louvers for extra engine cooling. The result of all of the lightweight materials and careful design was the car's bantam 2,420 pounds: The one-piece nose section weighed 39.6 pounds, the one-piece winged rear weighed 48.5 pounds, and the Euro-spec doors, with their sliding side windows, weighed 3.3 pounds each.
Anchoring the F40 to terra firma was a fully independent suspension with unequal length A-arms, coil springs and anti-roll bars. American F40 buyers didn't get the rest of the world's adjustable ride height, as the ride was fixed to help the car meet U.S. bumper height requirements. Despite the F40's focus on high technology, its four-wheel 13-inch disc brakes with four-piston calipers were not augmented with power assist or an anti-lock system. Ferrari's traditional five-spoke wheel design was executed in two-piece, center-locking aluminum alloys wrapped in 245/45-ZR17 front and 335/35-ZR17 rear Pirelli or Michelin tires.
Ferrari hand-built the F40 in limited production from 1987 through 1990, and although they'd initially indicated a build run of 400, demand for the $470,000 supercar influenced the automaker to extend production to 1,315 units, a controversial move that angered some owners who were concerned about diluting the car's exclusivity. Build numbers aside, few could argue with the F40's performance credentials and rightful place in the pantheon of the Prancing Horse.

This article originally appeared in the December, 2007 issue of Hemmings Motor News.